How we made the first comprehensive map of deaths along the US border’s “virtual wall”

MIT Technology Review and the Times of San Diego have published a 15-month investigation into the correlation between US-Mexico border surveillance technology and migrant fatalities. The project, titled 'Dying on Camera,' involved analyzing thousands of government documents, conducting over 45 interviews with officials and humanitarian workers, and synthesizing data from various organizations. The investigation highlights significant gaps in public record-keeping, particularly in Texas, where decentralized death investigations complicate data collection. By merging existing datasets with new records obtained through extensive public information requests, the team created the first comprehensive map of deaths near government surveillance towers. The report examines the failures of border technology and the human cost of surveillance, noting that while towers are intended to track and apprehend, their presence often coincides with dangerous crossing attempts. The methodology underscores the challenges of transparency and the lack of standardized protocols for documenting migrant deaths in borderlands.